OBIEE Agent run on custom parameters.

Hamza Shakeel

Hi All,

I have created an agent that sends a dashboard everyday to several people. The agent runs the dashboard on the default parameters. But now i face a new requirement as they want me to create an agent that would run on 5th of every month delivering the data of previous month for eg if its 5th of December 2018 the parameters the agent should run on the dashboard should be 1 November 18 to 30 November 2018 and email the result.

My dashboards runs on the parameter as from data and to date which are by default as follows

from date : 1st of the current month

to date : todays' date.

Regards,

Farrukh Nasir Siddiqui

Jerry Casey

Hi,

If you are willing to change your query filter, the following is a filter I use to do the same thing you are seeking to do:

"Contracts"."Revised Contract End Date" BETWEEN TIMESTAMPADD(SQL_TSI_MONTH,-1,TIMESTAMPADD(SQL_TSI_DAY,-(DAYOFMONTH(CURRENT_DATE)-1),CURRENT_DATE)) AND  TIMESTAMPADD(SQL_TSI_DAY,-(DAYOFMONTH(CURRENT_DATE)),CURRENT_DATE)

This can run on any day of the current month and return "Revised Contract End Dates" for the previous month.

Hope this helps,
Jerry

Hamza Shakeel

Hi Jerry,

This wouldn't solve my issue, as I would like my existing agent to send the report on current date.

I was just hoping if there is an any option like when we send analysis through agents we can chose the parameters, same option is not visible for when I send the dashboard Page.

Is there any way in which we can set different default values for the prompts on the dashboard for different user?

Farrukh

Jerry Casey

Hi Farruhk,
I'm not aware of a method to do specifically what you've described, but I'm not one of the gurus on here.  I missed the fact that you were sending a dashboard, and not just an analysis.  Have you considered using a hidden dashboard for the agent?  Then, you could set the prompt defaults to values like the ones I described in my first response, using presentation variables such as
@{fromDate}=TIMESTAMPADD(SQL_TSI_MONTH,-1,TIMESTAMPADD(SQL_TSI_DAY,-(DAYOFMONTH(CURRENT_DATE)-1),CURRENT_DATE))

@{toDate}=TIMESTAMPADD(SQL_TSI_DAY,-(DAYOFMONTH(CURRENT_DATE)),CURRENT_DATE)

Hamza Shakeel

Hi Jerry,

Yes I have that solution in mind, but if i give that solution to the client then it will be opening a can of worms. I am sending several dashboards through agents they would want me to create hidden dashboards for all of them.

@Gianni Ceresa I saw your work on agents. Have you ever came across this scenario? what do you suggest?

Regards,

Farrukh

Gianni Ceresa

Farrukh Nasir wrote:Is there any way in which we can set different default values for the prompts on the dashboard for different user?

Sure there is: session variables.

Set your defaults in prompts based on session variables and set them to either last month or current month based on the user.

Or duplicate the dashboard, replace the prompt with one defaulting to last month and send by agent the copy with the new defaults on your prompts.

Hamza Shakeel

Hi Gianni,

I did the same,

I created a user just for this purpose and updated my default values for the prompt based on the users.

I just felt this to be a rather discouraging practice as it would require complexity to the code. Replication was another option but I didnt chose it Client would then want to replicate so many dashboards that would just be too much to manage.

Thanks all for your replies.

Regards,

Farrukh

Gianni Ceresa

I see your point of view and how you felt (discouraging or adding more maintenance work), but on the other side you easily imagine that there is almost an infinite number of options and the tool just can't cover then all. That's the downside of a solution being "empty" and allowing you to build things freely matching your wishes.

It's often about finding the least worse solution, defining processes making things easier etc.

But there clearly isn't a "click here and forget it" solution sadly.

Hamza Shakeel

I was just curious that they give this option when we send an analysis through Agent what harm would it have cost them to allow this for the dashboard page as well. But as you said "That's the downside of a solution being "empty" and allowing you to build things freely matching your wishes."

Thanks

Gianni Ceresa

I guess it's more a technical limitation.

The analysis has filters, the dashboard can have one or many prompts which generate an almost infinite number of possible things. Sure by default a prompt is used to filter an analysis, but often it's used to drive content (hide/show things in the page) etc. Therefor it's challenging to manage it properly and the choice has been to just not offer the option to set values for those prompts etc.